Some local lawmakers said they fear the loss of local control will hurt housing operations. They see Patrick's proposal as an overreaction to the corruption that has been uncovered at some housing authorities.

Other legislators said they support the governor's efforts to find cost savings in local housing, though they also want to see more details of his plan before committing to support it.

The governor's proposal is seen as a response to the discovery in 2011 that Michael McLaughlin, then head of the Chelsea Housing Authority, was making $360,000 annually, an amount he underrepresented to state.

McLaughlin, of Dracut, later resigned under pressure from Patrick and is being investigated for alleged misspending of public funds.

Local authorities around the state have also had examples of mismanagement, including the Lowell Housing Authority's failure to secure occupancy permits for 132 units renovated from 2008 to 2011.

Under the governor's plan, the regional authorities would centralize their human resources, administrative, accounting, procurement and information-technology functions in one location.

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Each regional authority would have one executive director, as well other management staff. Local site managers and maintenance staff would remain.

The proposed changes require legislative approval.

Rep. Colleen Garry, D-Dracut, has not seen the actual proposal, but she didn't think a regional housing authority would have the same necessary local knowledge as the local housing authorities do.

"When tenants want to talk to the housing authority, they want to know the director and everyone in charge," said Garry. "The directors now know the people coming into the housing and they know the workers. They don't think someone else coming in would be fair."

She said the "McLaughlin issues" should have been prevented, but she didn't sense those problems in smaller housing authorities.

"I think we need to tighten down what's written in an audit, and I think the larger housing authorities should be held accountable," said Garry. "But I think Tyngsboro and Dracut are working well. People are happy with how the money is spent, commissioners are working well together on projects and tenants always know who to call."

Rep. Jim Miceli, a Wilmington Democrat, also hadn't seen the proposal, but has similar problems with it.

"I'm always willing to listen to a presentation," said Miceli, "but the farther you move any government entity away from the public, it has a negative effect."

Miceli said the governor's bill is an overreaction to the McLaughlin situation and that a system that normally works should not be abolished.

"I applaud him for wanting to change what's going on, but I don't think this is the way to do it," said Miceli. "If you pull this thing so far away and you have people who aren't from the area making the decisions, you have a serious problem."

Rep. Kevin Murphy, a Lowell Democrat, applauded the governor for a plan that could produce cost savings.

"Why do you need 10 different purchasing agents or 10 different payroll supervisors?" Murphy said. "It seems to make a lot of sense to have a regional office do that."

But Murphy, who does some legal work for the Lowell Housing Authority on labor issues, also said he thinks the governor's plan should have an opt-in proposal, so those local authorities who would rather maintain their current set-up can do so.

Rep. James Arciero, a Westford Democrat, also praised the governor for trying to cut waste and stop corruption. However, Arciero also said the housing authorities in the three towns he represents -- Chelmsford, Littleton and Westford -- have done an excellent job with limited funds, so he will scrutinize Patrick's plan before deciding whether to support it.

"I will be reviewing this proposal to make sure that this reform does not threaten our local housing authorities' ability to meet our local housing needs," Arciero said in a prepared statement.

Patrick's plan would also eliminate local housing boards.

The regions would each have a nine-member regional board appointed by the governor. Six members would be housing professionals, including three nominated by local governments.

The organization representing local housing leaders has already announced its opposition to the governor's plan. The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials is expected to release its own plan.

One local housing official voicing opposition is the executive director of the Chelmsford Housing Authority, David Hedison.

In a prepared statement Friday, Hedison said the Chelmsford authority already has strong oversight. The agency, which has nearly 1,000 units, is audited by three independent firms on an annual basis, he said.

"While I believe there is always room for improvement, the Chelmsford Housing Authority has always been recognized as a leader in the industry," Hedison wrote. "Anything that jeopardizes our ability to continue our mission would surely be a loss to the community."

Hedison said a pressing concern is the amount of state funding for public housing. The Chelmsford authority's 187 state units have more than $5 million of deferred maintenance, and Hedison believes the state needs to increase the resources for day-to-day operations of the units.

Lowell Houing Authority Executive Director Gary Wallace did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

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